Statistical summary of schools of theology, according to religious denominations.

The foregoing summary shows that, in general, the proportion to one theological school was about 5 professors and 37 students and that there were about 7 students to 1 professor. More in detail, we find that the Protestant German schools had nearly 10 students to one professor; that the Wesleyan and the Baptist seminaries had more than 8 students to 1 professor; that the Roman Catholic schools reported somewhat less than 8 students to 1 professor; that the churches called Presbyterian had nearly 7 students to 1 professor; the Congregational bodies, more than 5 students to 1 professor; the Protestant Episcopal, less than 4 students to 1 professor; the so-called "liberal Christians," about 3 students to 1 professor; and the New Church school about 1 student to 1 professor.

The summary next following is by States, and shows how many schools, instructors, students, and volumes in libraries and how much property, income, &c., were devoted to the preparation of clergymen in 1883-84.

The following is a statement of the number of schools of law reporting to this Bureau each year from 1874 to 1884, inclusive (1883 omitted), with the number of instructors and number of students:

1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1884.

Comparing the number of clergymen and of lawyers in 1880 (64,698 to 64,137) with the annual attendance on divinity schools and on law schools for a series of years, as shown above, it is very obvious that the lawyers of the Union do not obtain their

professional training, or the theoretical part thereof, from their professional schools, to any such extent as do clergymen from schools of theology. The tabular comparison below is prepared from the summaries given in my report for 1880; it shows the annual attendance upon theological and law schools from 1871 to 1880, inclusive:

1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878.

1879. 1880.

It is to be remembered further that nearly all the religious denominations now favor a preliminary collegiate education for their clergy and that the course of theological study in most schools is three years in duration; the law schools usually require but two years of study before graduation, and most of them do not require advanced preparatory training.

A very large number of lawyers do not attend law schools, except for one session; many do not attend at all; these classes "read law" in the offices of members of the bar. This is often thought to be advantageous because it makes the young man early familiar with the practical side of his profession; but here, as elsewhere, the lack of liberal culture and of thorough historical study of the law is a hindrance to almost every kind of real success; men may make money under such circumstances, but they seldom grow up to the full standard of legal stature, lacking, as they must, the humane nutrition of general culture. Many of the objections urged against an elective judiciary might be set aside without hesitation if the laws of the State should require of every candidate for the bench good evidence of his thorough preliminary and professional training and the attainment of at least his fortieth year.

The following summary shows the number of lawyers in each State and Territory in 180, according to the Federal census of that year. In the Union, as a whole, the proportion of lawyers to the whole population was as 1 to 732.

TABLE XIII.—SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE, DENTISTRY, AND PHARMACY.

The following is a comparative statement of the number of schools of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy reported to the Office each year from 1874 to 1884, inclusive (1883 omitted), with the number of instructors and students:

1874. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1884.

States and Territories.

This summary for 1884 does not show the entire number of these schools in existence during the time mentioned, but only those that answer the inquiries propounded by this Office.

The following statement from the Tenth Federal Census shows the number of persons in 1880 pursuing the vocations to which this table has or should have intimate and practical relation:

Summary showing the number of physicians, surgeons, dentists, and pharmacists in the United States in 1880.

Remembering that the total population of the Union in 1880 was 50,155,783, we see that the proportion thereof to the number of medical men in the Union was as 584 to 1; to the number of dentists, as 4,073 to 1; and to the number of pharmacists, as 1,811 to 1.

The next following summary shows, by States, for 1883, the number of schools for the training of students wishing to enter these professions, the number of students attending them, &c.:

Dentists.

Pharmacists.